FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH - PAGE 5

With a $300,000 house in Windsor, a red Porsche, a Mercedes-Benz and a six-figure income, Dr. Philip Feldberg looks like he has made it. It has taken 18 years for Feldberg -- known as TV's "Dr. Happy Tooth" -- to achieve this success. Now, at 47, it's in jeopardy. The state Department of Public Health and Addiction Services wants Feldberg's dentist license revoked. For the last four months, the State Dental Commission has heard testimony from patients and employees, some of whom have vilified Feldberg, others who have lauded him. The hearings continue today.

Why did I get my master's degree in public health? I've been asking myself that question a lot lately. My response is: What other career path would you have chosen? I say that because I enjoy learning about various health issues, from foods that help fight cancer to new guidelines about sunscreen, which is why I love The Dr. Oz Show — but what woman doesn't? Who wouldn't love to be his assistant of the day and learn about poop or some other embarrassing health topic? Well, I earned my master's in public health because I felt it was the right field for me. But getting into the field hasn't been easy.

Gregory L. Stanton has been named the Chief Executive Officer of Community Health Services, Inc. (CHS), a leading health care provider in the greater Hartford area. In his new role, Mr. Stanton will lead CHS as it continues to provide much needed health services in the greater Hartford area. "We are delighted that Gregory will be leading the team during a critical time in our organization's history," said Aigner Mitchell, Board Chair. Mr. Stanton also indicated, "How fortunate I am to have the opportunity to lead a system that has excelled with such a dedicated staff and committed Board of Directors.

The Department of Children and Families' practice of overseeing and licensing its own facilities would end if legislation proposed this week in the Senate gets approved. "When problems arise at a DCF facility -- and there have been plenty of problems in the past -- one can reasonably ask whether the entity that is responsible for running the facility is also the best choice for oversight of the problems there," Sen. Edward Meyer, D-Guilford, said in proposing the bill Wednesday.

MaryAnn Cherniak Lexius is ready to distinguish herself as the town's first full-time public health director. "I've been in public health for 20 years, and this is a great opportunity for me," she said Tuesday, midway through her first day on the job. Once a town reaches a population of 40,000, the state mandates the hiring of a full-time public health professional, Lexius said. Wallingford reached that point about five years ago and had been operating with a half-time position.

Dr. Franklin Manley Foote, a self-described "old-fashioned country doctor" whose public health career included 15 years as the state's commissioner of health, died Sunday at Fairview Manor in Great Barrington, Mass. He was 89. The former resident of Wethersfield was first appointed commissioner of the state Department of Health by then-Gov. Abraham Ribicoff in 1959. He continued to serve in the position under governors John Dempsey and Thomas J. Meskill. Dr. Foote was a man of seeming unlimited energy who delighted in running between appointments and bounding up flights of stairs rather than taking elevators.

The state Department of Public Health has placed the town health director on probation for four years for having sexual relationships with two former patients. In a June 1998 consent order, Dr. Alan Rutner agreed to have his medical license placed on probationary status and to pay for regularly scheduled therapy visits at his own expense. The order stipulates he also have a female employee present during examinations or treatments of disrobed or partially disrobed female patients.

AUSTIN. Florence C. Austin, RN, 88, of Bloomfield, a former Executive Director of the Hartford Visiting Nurse Association, died Sunday (March 31, 1996.) A native of Lynn, MA, Miss Austin was a graduate of Peter Bent Brigham Hospital School of Nursing, earning her B.S. degree from Columbia University. Her professional life had been spent entirely in the provision, supervision, and direction of public health nursing services. She was the 1971 recipient of the C- E. A. Winslow Award, honoring distinguished public health statesmen.

State Rep. Vickie Orsini Nardello, D-Prospect, is seeking a third term in the 89th District, which covers Cheshire, Prospect and Bethany. If elected, the 47-year-old Nardello said, her main priorities will be the establishment of a scholarship program for top high school students and monitoring the restructuring of the power industry that provides electricity. Nardello, who manages a dental clinic in Hartford's Moylan School, is a member of the General Assembly's public health committee and is a strong advocate for legislation protecting the privacy of health care records.

Most state offices and agencies will be closed today, the second in a series of unpaid furlough days for state employees. WHAT'S OPEN: State parks and beaches, courts, state park museums, including the Museum of Connecticut History in Hartford, and agencies responsible for public health and safety. Regularly scheduled lottery drawings will occur. Many offices and agencies will keep a small staff on duty to answer phones and handle emergencies. AGENCIES CLOSED: Motor vehicles; environmental protection; revenue services; lottery headquarters; education; banking; consumer protection; insurance; labor; public health; and transportation.